Chasing The Rabbit
by TheLokiExperience
Summary: To fight monsters, we created monsters. And to create those monsters, we needed more than just Jaeger pilots. Sophia Kyle is one of these people, a public relations officer constantly doing damage control. Jazmine Becket is Raleigh's fiery younger sister, now a Jaeger mechanic. What happens when the affections of two Jaeger pilots are thrown into the mix?
1. All In

**Chapter One: All In**

* * *

 **A/N: This chapter is edited as of 05/03/18. If you've read this story before - hello and welcome to the revamp. If you're new - again welcome. Jazmine is technically a canon character but this is our own interpretation of her, and Sophia is an original character. We thought we'd start this again in time for Pacific Rim: Uprising. So please, let us know what you think :D**

* * *

Jazmine Becket gasped her way into consciousness, the cotton sheets tangled in her hands and around her waist. Another nightmare…great. They were getting more frequent now, but she had a pretty solid idea as to why. Stacker Pentecost was bringing Raleigh in. Taking a deep breath, Jazmine pushed herself to her feet and dropped onto her back on the cold floor. Twenty sit-ups, that should do it.

 _1…2…3…4_

Jazmine knew that she was not meant for the Drift, but that didn't stop her from trying. Both of her older brothers had been Jaeger pilots, and it was more that than anything else that gave her a fierce desire to become one. She wasn't compatible, Pentecost had made that absolutely clear. From the beginning, Jazmine had been volatile and fiery. She had been sixteen when her oldest brother Yancy died, and it had impacted heavily on their entire family.

 _5…6…7…8_

There had been no word from Raleigh. Pentecost assured them he was still alive, but he'd just…vanished. So Jazmine had nursed a grudge against her only surviving brother. The darkness in her heart, the anger she struggled to contain, was unacceptable for a Jaeger pilot. She would be taking too much into the Drift.

 _9…10…11…12…_

Jazmine had been seventeen when Pentecost picked her up, over four years ago. He'd offered her a proper job, in honour of Yancy's services to the PPDC. Jazmine fell in love. The Jaegers were the most amazing machines she'd ever seen, and once she had learned all about their structure, she was good to go.

 _13…14…15…16…_

How was she meant to feel about her brother coming back? She'd given up on Raleigh…or had he given up on her? Either way, there was a five-year lack of contact, and Jazmine wasn't sure that anything could make up for it.

 _17…18…19…20._

Jazmine sighed heavily and pushed herself up, raking her brown hair out of her blue eyes. Flopping onto her bed, Jazmine crawled between the sheets and snuggled against her pillow. Tomorrow, everything was going to change. The Russians had arrived three days ago, the Chinese a week before that. The Australians were set to arrive in the morning…and later, Raleigh. Jazmine tossed onto her side, not knowing whether to love or hate her older brother.

* * *

Jazmine watched as the Australian team made their way into the Shatterdome. She'd seen them on TV several times, most recently when they'd defeated a kaiju in Sydney only days before Striker Eureka, their Mark V Jaeger, was due to be transported to Hong Kong. They had the highest kill count of any pilot duo to date.

The clicking of heels and bright red hair alerted her to the presence of her co-worker and friend, Sophia Kyle. The older woman worked closely with Stacker Pentecost, and was head of their public relations department now that it had considerable downsized. Jazmine leaned against the railing and indicated the two men walking front and centre. The older one was in his mid-forties or thereabouts, while the younger was maybe Jazmine's age. There was a bulldog trotting along between them, a sight that made her crack a smile.

"The Australian lot?" Jazmine asked, although she and Sophia already both knew the answer to that question.

"They sure are." Sophia sighed heavily. "I have to go play nice."

"I should go over and say hi as well." Jazmine shrugged her shoulders. "I'm probably going to be assigned to their Jaeger anyway."

"Alright, grease monkey." Sophia nudged her playfully in the side, striding over toward the Australians – the Hansens, if Jazmine remembered correctly. She would love to be able to work on _Striker Eureka_. It was the newest and most advanced of the Jaegers, the only Mark V that had ever been built.

"Hercules and Charles Hansen?" Sophia reached out to shake the hand of the older man – Herc. "Sophia Kyle. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Who's your little friend?" Chuck, the son, jerked his head toward Jazmine. She frowned, immediately disliking this guy who was talking about her like she wasn't even there. Sophia glanced over her shoulder at Jazmine.

"This is Jazmine Becket."

"Who isn't little," she piped up, folding her arms to indicate her displeasure.

"Yancy and Raleigh's sister?" Herc's attention locked onto the brunette, who felt a slight sting at the mention of the familiar names.

"The very same."

A low creak overhead made Jazmine look up, watching in awe as several helicopters slowly lowered Striker Eureka into the Shatterdome. She couldn't help but clasp her hands together in excitement. This was a more high-tech Jaeger than any she'd worked on in the past. Herc and Sophia were deep in conversation as they headed toward the Marshall's office, but Chuck was still hanging around with the bulldog, whose tag proclaimed him to be Max, at his feet.

"Like him, huh?"

"That is one amazing machine," Jazmine stated, not even caring about seemingly easily impressed in front of the young Ranger.

"You assigned to it?" Chuck asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I think so."

"Well, you better take care of him." He winked at her, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "If you do, I'll give you a tour of the inside."

Jazmine rolled her eyes back to the high heavens. Most girls would probably giggle and think that sounded amazed, but she wasn't going to be treated as an inferior by Chuck Hansen. He probably thought he was such a ladies' man and maybe back in Australia he was, but she wasn't buying into his bullshit.

"Coming?" Chuck asked as he made to follow his dad further into the Shatterdome.

"Sorry, kiddo." Jazmine shook her head. "Got Jaegers to fix."

* * *

Raleigh Becket looked around the place as the helicopter landed on the helipad. The whole place was foreign to him and he was unsure of how he would feel settling back into the program. As he got out of the helicopter a young Asian woman greeted him by the name of Mako Mori, who was meant to be leading him around the place and introducing him to everyone.

"The Marshall says there are only four Jaegers left here." Raleigh remarked as he was led into the Shatterdome.

Mako nodded her head in confirmation. "That's right."

As they entered the Shatterdome, Raleigh paused when he saw a familiar face. It had been many years since he'd last seen his younger sister, and she'd only been a teenager when he'd left, but there was no mistaking Jazmine when he saw her. Unfortunately, she was less than thrilled. She stalked over to her brother, hands clenching and unclenching.

"Jaz?" Raleigh was astonished at seeing his younger sister working in the Shatterdome. After Yancy's death, he never would have imagined that Jazmine would get involved in the Jaeger program. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Jazmine cut him off with a sharp slap to the face. "You are an asshole!"

Raleigh rubbed his cheek ruefully, surprised but unable to blame his sister for her anger. Mako was more than familiar with Jazmine's aggressive tendencies – they were the same age, but Mako had ten years on her in terms of maturity.

"You haven't spoken to me in five years!" Jazmine shot at him furiously. Did Raleigh seriously just think he could act like nothing had happened between them? A red-haired woman in professional attire trailed over to them hesitantly, having heard the commotion but clearly unsure whether she should approach.

"Jaz, I'm sorry, alright?" Raleigh sighed heavily, as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. "There was a lot going on."

"Yeah, like Yancy being dead and you not even bothering to call," Jazmine said accusingly. She folded her arms over her chest. Raleigh examined his sister carefully. She was twenty-one now, no longer the kid he remembered. She was still slender, but she'd filled out, grown up. This was no child, but a woman – and she was angry at him.

"I sent money," Raleigh said. He knew it had been hard, and he'd felt guilty. Their mum had died and their dad had left even before Yancy had died, so Jazmine had been sent to stay with their uncle.

"You think that's good enough?" Jazmine sneered. "I didn't want your money, Raleigh. I didn't want financial support. I just wanted to see you again, and even that was too difficult."

Without so much as a backwards glance, the brunette turned and stormed out. Raleigh raked a hand through his hair and heaved a sigh. It was clear that things were going to be tense here as long as Jazmine resented his presence – which, considering they hadn't talked at all in five years – would probably be a while. He knew he'd done the wrong thing by her, and he needed to accept that if they were ever to make any progress.

* * *

Sophia gnawed at her lip as she looked over what she had written on the whiteboard. Sure, she loved her job, but at times it was damn frustrating and annoying. She let out a long and heavy sigh before erasing everything she had written, deciding the start over. She raked her hair back, muttering to herself, unaware that Raleigh Becket was peering into her office.

"Hello?" Raleigh spoke softly, not wanting to startle the redhead who was intently scribbling across the whiteboard.

Sophia jumped slightly, spinning around to look at Raleigh, willing her heart rate to slow down. "Hey. Can I help you?"

"Oh. Sorry. I was just acquainting myself with the base." Raleigh apologized, leaning against the doorframe.

Sophia nodded, managing a small smile before glancing back at her work. "It's fine. I get a little caught up in work sometimes."

"So what do you do, exactly?" Raleigh asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm head of Public Relations." Sophia told him and upon noticing his almost blank expression, decided to go into more detail. "Basically, I'm the person who talks to the media and other people, and makes sure that Pentecost doesn't piss anyone off."

Raleigh nodded thoughtfully. "Ah."

"Now that the _Striker Eureka_ is here, it's making life harder because of Chuck." Sophia muttered, more to herself then Raleigh.

"How so? Because he's an idiot?" Raleigh raised an eyebrow, taking a step into the office so he could see what the young woman in front of him was doing.

Sophia nodded before pushing her hair out of her eyes, glancing at the paperwork on her desk and letting out a heavy sigh. "I need coffee..."

"You seem to work a lot." Raleigh observed, looking at the stacks of paperwork that were around the room.

"I didn't manage to get any sleep last night." Sophia explained. That was what it was like most nights. No sleep, just work, work and more work. "Want one?"

"Okay, sure." Raleigh smiled, watching as she went about making the coffee in an almost rehearsed and mechanical way, like she'd done it so many times before. Although, he had no doubt that she had often made large cups of coffee. He sipped the coffee as she handed it to him, welcoming the familiar taste. "Thanks. So how long you been working here?"

"Few years now." Sophia told him, sipping her own coffee. "Hours are shit and the work is hard, but I can't see myself doing anything else."

Raleigh raised an eyebrow "Why's that? You work for the love of it?"

"I like to believe that I'm helping, even if I'm not." Sophia shrugged, thinking it a rather stupid reason.

"You are. We all are, in a way. I'm here because I have to be." Raleigh sat down on one of the few chairs in the room.

"You make more of a difference then I ever could." Sophia pushed her red hair out of her green eyes, thinking of how much she needed to cut her hair.

Raleigh leant back in his chair. "Hardly. I'm just here to pilot an out of date Jaeger. And now my sister's here too, fantastic."

Sophia laughed at the sarcasm in his tone. "She's a good kid, you know."

"She's too much like me and Yancy, that's what worries me." He explained to her, not wanting his baby sister to get hurt in all of this.

"Why's that?" Sophia took another sip of her coffee, welcoming the caffeine into her system.

Raleigh shrugged; he hadn't really spoken about his family to anyone in a long time. "She's a fireball. And it's my fault she hates me."

"I doubt she hates you." Sophia knew the young mech fairly well and she hadn't ever spoken about her brother in a hateful way, she always spoke in more of a disappointed way.

Raleigh shook his head. He couldn't exactly have blamed Jazmine if she did hate him. "I haven't talked to her since she was seventeen."

Sophia raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure why Raleigh automatically assumed Jazmine hated him, they hadn't even been around each other for more than twenty-four hours yet. "So? You're her family."

"What's left of it." Raleigh murmured, glancing down at the cup in his hand.

"Exactly. She loves you, trust me. No matter what your family does, you can never bring yourself to hate them." Sophia pointed out, knowing that she loved her family despite all the issues she had faced with them.

"She used to look up to us." Raleigh whispered to himself, looking up at Sophia and noticing a sympathetic look in her eyes.

Sophia smiled slightly. "I would've given anything to have siblings."

"Sometimes I wished I could do without them. But I guess, after Yancy died...I just never wanted to see Jazmine involved in any of this." Raleigh hated that she _had_ gotten involved. He left to protect her, not to see her get caught up in the same whirlwind that killed their other brother. He shrugged it off before sipping his coffee again. "In some ways, it's good to be back."

Sophia gave him a questioning glance. "Oh?"

"I missed Gipsy. I missed the feel of this, in some ways." Raleigh explained, finishing his coffee.

Sophia nodded thoughtfully, "Well, if you ever need anything, let me know."

Raleigh smiled, happy to be getting along with at least someone in the Shatterdome. "Thanks. That's nice of you."

"I try to be nice at least once a day." Sophia joked, finishing her own coffee and putting the mug in the little sink beside the coffee maker.

Raleigh grinned at her. "Just once a day?"

"Just once, people piss me off too much." Sophia took his mug off him, putting it in the sink beside her own.

"Like my sister? Or other people?" Raleigh asked, curious as to who her should avoid.

Sophia shook her head. "Just people who seem to think firepower is everything, or that hiding behind walls will achieve anything."

"It's people more than firepower. We're the ones who work our asses off, both building the walls and piloting." Raleigh pointed and Sophia nodded in agreement. He had a fair point. Without people, the machines wouldn't function and there would be no firepower to battle against the kaiju, and no walls to attempt to keep them out. "Thanks for the coffee, by the way. Better than I expected."

"You're most welcome."


	2. Rising Tensions

**Chapter Two: Rising Tensions**

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 **A/N: Hey everyone! Like the first chapter, this one has been edited as of 23/3/18. We really hope you enjoy the reboot of this story as much as we do.**

* * *

Jazmine had always loved the _Striker Eureka_ , she surmised as she happily continued about fixing it up. It hadn't been too badly knocked around by the _kaiju_ that it had killed in Sydney, but the Marshall wanted it in top shape for his plans to bomb the breach. It was a good thing that Jazmine didn't have a problem with heights, because she was perched on a platform almost a hundred metres above the ground. Pulling off her safety goggles and putting down the welder, Jazmine turned to notice Chuck Hansen watching her from ground level.

"Hi down there." She leaned over the rail. "Your Jaeger is one hot machine."

"Thanks. So are you." Chuck offered her a smirk, and Jazmine had to refrain from rolling her eyes. That was his idea of a pick-up line? She pushed herself away from the rail, ditching the safety goggles.

"Oh, I'm not a machine."

"No, but you're hot," Chuck insisted. He'd had his pick of the girls in Sydney. He'd been with a few singers, couple of actresses and maybe a supermodel or two. He knew a pretty girl when he saw one.

"Are you like this with all girls, or just mechs?" Jazmine was amused as she swung under the rail and started descending the stairs. It was a fair way down, but definitely a good workout for her legs.

"Only the pretty ones," Chuck replied. Jazmine was probably about the same age as him, and it would be fun to use her to piss Raleigh off. The two had already started off at loggerheads, and the relationship between them didn't seem to be improving.

"From way down there, you can't tell if I'm pretty, Aussie boy," Jazmine responded casually, jumping over the rail and landing on the ground in order to miss the last flight of stairs. "You and my brother don't seem to get along."

"Probably because he doesn't like me looking at you," Chuck stated, eyes raking over her figure. Long legs, pretty face, good body. She wasn't the most stunning girl he'd ever seen, but she was attractive enough.

"And why do you look at me?" Jazmine tossed back her hair. "Aren't there any girls in Australia?"

"No, there are." Chuck crossed his arms over his chest. There were plenty of girls in Australia, girls who obsessed over him and would give anything to even be with him for a night. Jazmine wasn't throwing herself at him…yet.

"How old are you, Chuck?" Jazmine inquired.

"Twenty-one," Chuck responded, which surprised Jazmine. So they were the same age. She had automatically assumed that he was older, probably because he looked more like twenty-five. His immaturity should have said everything, though.

"Don't see why a world-famous Jaeger pilot would be interested in a mech," Jazmine stated sceptically. She wasn't stupid, she'd known guys like Chuck in the past. Yeah, he was good-looking, but she wasn't going to throw herself at him or get all over him, even if it would be funny to see Raleigh's reaction.

"Because you're hot," Chuck insisted.

"Wanna know what I think?" Jazmine asked, planting her hands on her hips.

"Not really," Chuck drawled. Sure, the girl was hot, but he preferred it when they kept their mouths shut and didn't start trying to talk to him. He wasn't particularly interested in what she had to say.

"Exactly," she said triumphantly, "You're just interested in getting some before you head out to what might be your final fight."

"I'll survive it," Chuck retorted, irritated by Jazmine's doubt of his abilities. "I'm one of the best pilots out there, if not _the_ best. I'm sure I'll survive it."

"My brother Yancy was an amazing pilot," Jazmine stated. It still hurt to think about what had happened to Yancy. She didn't even know how he had died, because Raleigh never wanted to talk about it. But she knew that her brothers had piloted the _Gipsy Danger_ with brutal efficiency.

"Obviously not," Chuck stated casually, causing Jazmine's eyes to narrow dangerously.

"Let me get something perfectly clear, Hansen." Any playfulness in her tone dropped, and her blue eyes burned with rising anger. "If you put Yancy down in front of me, you're going to get your ass kicked. Got it? I don't care if you're some fancy little Jaeger pilot."

Chuck examined her closely and scoffed. "Like you could kick my ass."

"Oh, coz I'm a girl?" Jazmine snarled. She was beginning to dislike this arrogant Australian boy more with every breath he took. "Newsflash: I don't need a Jaeger to take you on."

"You're tiny." Chuck's gaze became contemptuous. "I doubt you'd do any damage."

"Careful, Hansen." Jazmine shoved him in the chest, hard. Chuck barely moved at the push, laughing. "Daddy isn't here to bail out your ass."

"I don't need him to bail it out," Chuck remarked, inspecting Jazmine critically. So yeah she was hot, but she was also becoming a real pain in the ass.

She folded her arms over her chest. "Good, coz I don't need Raleigh to save mine, if that's what you're thinking."

Chuck couldn't help but smirk. "You probably would."

Jazmine's temper flared and she punched him in the face. He'd insulted her brother and now he was insulting her. Chuck gripped her wrist and twisted, but Jazmine had more than enough experience fighting people bigger and stronger than her. She slammed her knees between his legs, causing Chuck to groan and toss her to the ground. Jazmine laughed as she looked up at him.

"Can't take it."

"No, I can," Chuck assured her, watching her carefully. "I'd just rather not damage your pretty face."

"You talk shit about Yancy again, and yours won't be," Jazmine hissed at him.

"Why? Because you know it's true?" Chuck was deliberately winding her up now. Raleigh Becket was a renowned Jaeger pilot, and he wanted to see whether his sister had the same spirit. "Your brother was a shit pilot, that's why he died."

Rage coursed through Jazmine's veins and she shoved herself to her feet, launching at Chuck and tackling him to the ground. She knew that others were starting to gather around and watch them. Soon enough, the Marshall would come out to break them out. As she punched Chuck repeatedly in the face, she found that she didn't care.

Chuck groaned in pain – dammit, she hit hard – and flipped them over so he was pinning her to the ground. She continued fighting him, head-butting him hard in the face. Chuck moved his head out of range, still holding her down as she struggled like some kind of wild animal. He didn't mind feisty, but this was bordering psycho.

"Get the fuck off me!" Jazmine snarled. "I'll kick your ass!"

Chuck smirked down at her. "You can't while you're under me, where you belong."

"Asshole." Jazmine spat in his face and Chuck grimaced, getting off her and wiping the saliva from his cheek. "Why do I belong under you, huh? You belong down a _kaiju_ 's throat."

"Like your dear brother?" Chuck taunted her, clenching his hands into fists. He wasn't normally so spiteful, but Jazmine was really beginning to piss him off. She tackled him again, rolling him onto his stomach and pinning his arms behind his back.

"Wanna repeat that?"

"You heard me." Chuck rolled over, pinning her under his back with his weight. It was a dirty move, but Jazmine bit his arm and clawed at him, trying to push him off. How dare he talk about Yancy like that! How _dare_ he? She was infuriated with this stupid Australian brat who thought he knew everything just because he had the most kills.

Jazmine shoved Chuck off and he rolled to his feet, walking away from her without a backwards glance. Seething, Jazmine was tempted to go after him and go again until she beat him to a pulp – but she had to control her temper. Everyone always said she got herself into trouble where she could avoid it.

" _Jazmine Becket_!" Marshall Pentecost was stalking across the bay towards her, and Jazmine took a deep breath as she watched him approach. Boy, she was in for it now.

* * *

"This is the fifth time I've had to pick up the pieces after you fight with someone." Stacker Pentecost was pacing, and Jazmine had the grace to at least pretend to be apologetic about her actions. In truth, she was seething. Typical, she was the one to get into trouble with Chuck got off scot-free. She wouldn't normally have lashed out – but it was habit, one that sprung up when someone insulted Yancy or Raleigh.

"It won't happen again, sir," Jazmine promised. Most people didn't have the ability to pull her into line, but there was something about Stacker Pentecost that commanded respect. Part of that was also because he had been the one to offer her a job, to believe in her when no one else did. He had also done her a huge favour by not disclosing her humiliating reaction to the Drift. For that, Jazmine would be eternally grateful.

"I should hope it doesn't." Stacker turned to face Jazmine, gaze critical. "I know things are tense now that Raleigh is back here. But you cannot afford to allow personal problems to get in the way of your work. You are here to do a job, Miss Becket. I understand that Chuck Hansen is not the easiest person to get along with, but you would be wise to do what the rest of us do and _ignore him._ "

Jazmine barely refrained from sighing. Chuck was not exactly an easy person to ignore. He seemed intent on getting a reaction – and when she thought about it that way, Jazmine realised she'd played right into his hands. If Chuck wanted attention, then she had practically given it to him.

"Understood, sir. Permission to be dismissed?"

Stacker looked weary, but he nodded. "Granted."

Jazmine felt deep relief course through her and she stepped out of Stacker's office. Chastising over. However, she didn't expect to see Raleigh walking down the corridor, probably to speak to Stacker himself. Both Becket siblings froze, and Jazmine folded her arms over her chest as she regarded her brother.

"Raleigh."

He had always been the middle brother, in truth. When the first _kaiju_ hit, Jazmine had been nine years old. Of course, such frightening images from the television scared her. But it hadn't been fourteen-year-old Raleigh whose room she'd run into. No, it had been Yancy, seventeen and practically already grown up. She remembered bringing her nightlight with her, feeling stupid for being such a baby at nine. But Yancy had just grinned and pulled her in beside her, telling her stories about fighting _kaiju._ Yancy had been the protective older brother, the one who'd looked after her.

Now, he was dead.

"You don't sound happy to see me," Raleigh noted.

"Dad was worried sick," Jazmine stated, her tone accusatory. They'd lost their mother when she'd only been young, and Yancy's death and Raleigh's disappearance had all but broke their father. He had never been the same since, and Jazmine had to pin the blame on someone, anyone. It had to be Raleigh.

"I really am sorry, Jaz." Raleigh did sound apologetic, and it resonated in his blue eyes. "I didn't mean for you to feel so alone. I would have come back, but…I never really knew what to do after it happened, I guess."

Jazmine wanted to be angry at him. She had been angry for five years and she'd expected to hold onto it for a hell of a lot longer. But they had both lost Yancy, and seeing him now, she knew that she couldn't hold onto such a petty grudge. She stepped forward and flung her arms around her brother, and he held her close.

"I missed you," she mumbled into his shirt.

Raleigh couldn't help but smile. "Missed you too, Jazzy."

* * *

Sophia was lying against her desk, her head propped up on her arms. Raleigh glanced around as he walked down the halls of the now familiar facility. At first, he had found himself frequently lost, but now it was coming close to being second nature for him to navigate the halls.

He wandered past Sophia office, pausing and walking back towards it upon seeing the light on in her office. Raleigh yawned as he peered into her office. He smiled when he watched her shift, her hair falling over her face. He walked into her office, hurrying over to her when her chair gave out from underneath her, causing her to hit her head on the edge of the desk before hitting the ground.

"Shit..." Raleigh cursed, kneeling down beside her, helping her to sit up as she let out a groan. "Sophia? Are you okay?"

"My head..." Sophia blinked, willing the world to stop spinning around her.

Raleigh brushed her hair away from her face gently, inspecting her head to see that it was bleeding. "It's bleeding."

Sophia waved her hand in the general direction of her desk. "There are tissues on the desk."

"It looks like it might need stitches." Raleigh grabbed the box of tissues, gently dabbing at the cut.

"It'll be fine." Sophia mumbled deliriously, wincing in pain as he wiped the blood off of her face.

Raleigh stood up, helping Sophia to her feet, putting an arm around her waist to steady her. "Come on, we should see if there's a doctor around."

"I'm okay." She waved him off, pushing him away and swaying slightly.

Raleigh sighed, putting his arm around her again. "No, you aren't."

"You're really attractive. You know that, right?" Sophia giggled, leaning against him heavily.

Raleigh cleared his throat, unsure to how to respond. "Um, thanks... I think you should see a doctor."

Sophia groaned, letting her head fall forward. It felt so heavy and the world was still spinning. "Alright, alright."

Raleigh kept his grip on her waist as they walked out of her office in search of a doctor. "Why are you working so late?"

"I have to." Sophia told him. The amount of work she had was piling up as the attacks became more and more frequent and it was hard for to keep up with the workload, resulting in her having to work late at night on minimal sleep to get all of it done. Not to mention the other people in her division were useless.

Raleigh raised an eyebrow, glancing around the place. "You have to?"

Sophia shrugged. "The work needs to be done."

"Not all through the night." Raleigh admired her dedication to her work, but also could see that it was wearing her down.

"It wouldn't get done if I didn't work at night." Sophia reasoned, knowing that no one else in the division would help her out or stay back to do their work.

"I bet it would, you need rest."

* * *

Jazmine heaped food onto her tray, more than happy to indulge in whatever meal the mess hall had to offer. She wasn't exactly the greatest cook, so she was happy to let someone who was paid do the job. Sophia was with her, talking animatedly about her work. Honestly, Jazmine thought the woman worked too much. She noticed Chuck and rolled her eyes, dishing up some mashed potato.

"He's such a jerk."

"Wouldn't surprise me," Sophia stated, glancing over at Chuck Hansen. She found him thoroughly disagreeable.

"He started mocking Yancy." Jazmine clutched her tray tighter at the very memory. "Can you believe that? He must be the world's biggest asshole."

"Did you hit him?" Sophia inquired, knowing that it wouldn't be unusual for Jazmine. Whenever her brothers were concerned, her fists were always ready.

"Several times," Jazmine replied with relish.

Raleigh picked at his food as he spoke to Herc. Part of him wanted to eat and the other part wanting to flatten Chuck, who happened to be strutting over to them as Raleigh was thinking this. Chuck sat down across from them, eating his own food. Raleigh began to eat a little faster, though he was still eating considerably slower than anyone else at the table.

Herc glanced at his son, watching as he moved to feed Max. "Don't feed that bulldog at the table, Chuck."

Chuck immediately pulled his hand back. "I'm not."

"I know, I'm saying don't." Herc told him, not in the mood for his son's attitude.

Sophia sighed, glancing around to see if there were any empty seats at any tables. "Let's go eat and talk, please."

"Good idea." Jazmine agreed, heading for an empty table, glaring at Chuck as they passed where he was eating.

Chuck watched her before hitting her on the ass, a smirk forming on his face. Raleigh noticed, pushing himself to his feet, his anger beginning to boil over. Meanwhile, Sophia placed her food on the empty table, watching the brewing fight along with Jazmine who was watching her brother.

Raleigh's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't do that to my sister."

"Or what?" Chuck raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me, you don't want to mess with me." Raleigh told him through clenched teeth.

"You don't scare me." Chuck got to his feet, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jazmine sighed, glancing at Chuck. "Chuck, just shut up for once."

"You don't touch my sister. What about that is unclear?" Raleigh stepped closer towards Chuck.

Chuck shrugged. "Nothing, I just don't take orders from you."

"Chuck made some comments about Yancy earlier," Jazmine stated bluntly, watching as Raleigh folded his arms and glared in Chuck's direction.

"What kind of comments?"

Chuck shrugged. "I only spoke the truth."

"He said Yancy was a shit pilot," Jazmine commented, all too eager to get Chuck into trouble. He seemed to think that he could say and do what he wanted without consequences, but she knew that Raleigh wouldn't tolerate his crap.

"So you insult my brother, and now you're degrading my sister?" Raleigh asked disbelievingly. He had no doubt that Chuck was doing this to piss him off, because the two of them hadn't gotten along from the start.

"What of it?" Chuck jeered, causing Raleigh to land a punch to his jaw. Chuck staggered back momentarily, before he stepped forward and punched back. Sophia sighed heavily as Jazmine watched with a delighted grin spreading across her features. Raleigh grabbed Chuck by the front of the shirt and hauled him forward, causing the younger man to knee him in the stomach.

"My money's on Raleigh," Jazmine announced.

Sophia shook her head slowly. "My money's on one of them getting something broken…"

Raleigh punched Chuck again, twisting his arm up hard behind his back. Chuck slammed his head into Raleigh's face, but Herc Hansen had had enough. He pulled the two of them apart, his expression furious.

"That's enough!" he shouted, "Chuck, stop being so bloody aggravating. Becket, there's no need for violence here."

"They are going to have bruises tomorrow," Sophia noted ruefully as she and Jazmine sat down to eat their lunch.

"Chuck deserves it," Jazmine stated fiercely, but she wasn't sure she meant it. Chuck shoved past his father and stalked out of the mess hall, while Raleigh nursed a bloody nose. She didn't know why Raleigh and Chuck hated each other so much, but it seemed to her like Chuck went out of his way to piss Raleigh off.


	3. Incompatible

**Chapter Three: Incompatible**

* * *

 **A/N: Really hope you're enjoying this so far, please leave us a review if you have the time - feedback fuels your writers.**

* * *

Jazmine stalked into Chuck's room without invitation. She'd had about enough of his attitude, especially in relation to her brother. He didn't like Raleigh, so what? It seemed to her like Chuck enjoyed causing fights, but she wasn't having any of it. Maybe she was only twenty-one, but she felt a decade more mature than Chuck.

"What the hell is your problem?" Jazmine demanded, planting her hands on her hips and glaring down at her brother's nemesis, who looked up from where he was sitting on the bed and tying the laces of his boots.

"What?"

"Don't 'what' me like you're some kind of dumbass," Jazmine snapped. She was tired of Chuck's efforts to get on everyone's nerves. What was the guy's problem? He'd hated Raleigh from day one, and it still didn't really make sense why.

"I am, according to you," Chuck retaliated, pushing himself to his feet.

"Well, my brother did manage to beat some sense into you." Jazmine smirked, remembering the earlier fight in the cafeteria. She shouldn't really be condoning such behaviour, but Chuck had deserved it.

"I gave him a nice bruising," Chuck countered, folding his arms over his chest and inspecting the brunette with a scowl. "What do you want?"

"For you to leave Raleigh the hell alone!" Jazmine exclaimed, stepping towards him despite knowing that she didn't threaten him one little bit. "I think you're just jealous of him. He's been through enough without some arrogant, barely-out-of-his-teens little Australian bugging him."

"So that would make me jealous how?" Chuck drawled, lazily raising an eyebrow. God, sometimes Jazmine really wanted to just land a punch herself, to wipe the smug expression from his face.

"You're jealous because you know you're not half the Ranger he is," Jazmine spat, clenching her hands into her fists. She had been so proud of both her brothers, Yancy and Raleigh both. They might have left her behind, alone with only their father, but she had never been able to hold that against them…until Yancy died.

"No, I'm better than him," Chuck stated confidently, tilting his head to the side. "I can at least protect my family."

"What are you talking about?" Jazmine frowned, although she had the sneaking suspicion she already knew. "I'm still breathing."

"I meant your other brother, who is dead," Chuck said with a shrug of his shoulders, causing Jazmine's anger to flare up.

"Don't start about Yancy. I have dirt on you as well."

"Sure you do…" Chuck rolled his eyes. How long had Jazmine been at the base? Considering her young age, he doubted that she really knew that much about Rangers other than her brother.

"Chuck." Jazmine's tone became very solemn. "Don't make me bring up your mother."

He visibly tensed. Chuck's mother had died in the attack on Sydney, when he had only been a child. It wasn't common knowledge, but it made sense that someone working with the Shatterdome would have heard about it. He realised that he had reached a stalemate with Jazmine – they both had something over the other.

"I was eleven." Chuck's voice was hard. "So don't bring her up."

"Then don't bring up Yancy." Jazmine shrugged lightly. "Simple. He was good to me."

"At least you knew your family," Chuck retorted.

Her eyes narrowed. That wasn't true. Yes, becoming a Ranger at only sixteen was sure to have an impact, but that wasn't fair of him to assume that she'd had the perfect life growing up. Her mother had died of cancer, her brothers had left her to join the PPDC. Jazmine hadn't had a hard life, but she had been lonely.

"Don't play that card. You grew up with Herc."

"You grew up with your whole family," Chuck said almost accusingly.

Jazmine folded her arms over her chest. "No, I didn't. I was still a kid when Yancy and Raleigh left for the Academy."

It was true. Plus, Jazmine hadn't seen Raleigh for five years. Living with only her uncle hadn't been easy. She'd only had one role model, and out of the two brothers she'd admired so much, one was dead and the other had abandoned her.

"Look, I mean what I said. Raleigh has been through enough. He doesn't need shit from you. I'm just sticking up for my brother here."

"Who is a total dick," Chuck drawled, causing Jazmine to slap him across the face. That was her problem, it had always been her problem. She didn't _think._ She was reckless like her brothers. She supposed in some ways, it was fortunate that she couldn't pilot a Jaeger. Chuck grabbed her wrist and Jazmine lifted her chin, inspecting him fearlessly.

"What are you going to do, Hansen? Try punch me up, too?"

"No," Chuck replied. He couldn't remember how many times that had been drilled into him by his fathers: _don't hit girls._ It was a fundamental truth, women were weaker. He had no intention of hurting Jazmine, but sometimes she really did piss him off.

"Then let go, that's a good boy."

Chuck clenched his jaw. "What happened to make you such a bitch?"

Jazmine just tossed her hair back, unaffected. "Guess you get screwed up when your oldest brother dies and your other brother leaves you."

"Then why don't you try and make friends instead of enemies?" Chuck inquired.

Jazmine narrowed her eyes. "Because you've only been hostile towards my brother and I. I have friends. Do you?"

Chuck released her and stepped back. "Not unless you count my dad, a bulldog, and a couple of people a thousand miles away."

"So maybe try being friendlier," Jazmine suggested. She and Chuck probably would have gotten along if he was nicer. They were the same age, after all. There weren't too many people around the Shatterdome who were her age.

"No point." Chuck raised his eyebrows. "Like you keep saying, I'm probably going to die soon. Then you won't have to worry about me anymore."

"Whatever, right?" Jazmine rolled her eyes. By Chuck's sarcastic tone, he wasn't about what he was saying, but she didn't like how she was the target of his wry humour. "Why would you bother listening to the sister of someone you hate? You can't call my brother a dick if you can't even justify it."

"We just don't get along." Chuck shrugged. "I'm sure he'd say the exact same thing. And I have reason not to like him."

"Yeah. Jealousy." Jazmine looked down as Max padded into the room and she kneeled in front of him. "Oh, aren't you a cutie?"

Jazmine rubbed Max's belly when he rolled onto his back, legs flailing in the air. She looked up and noticed that Chuck was watching her intently. A slight frown came over her face as she continued petting Max.

"Why do you watch me so much, Hansen?"

"I'm allowed to watch you when you're with my dog," Chuck replied curtly, before his firm resolve started to waver. He watched as Jazmine giggled when Max started licking her face. "He likes you."

Jazmine pushed herself to her feet. Chuck's dog was adorable, shame about the owner. Besides, she had other things to do than discuss Raleigh, dogs and friends with the Australian boy. She rubbed Max's head affectionately.

"I should go fix those Jaegers up."

* * *

Jazmine pressed her forehead against the cool metal of the _Gipsy Danger_ , taking a deep breath. It was after dinner, but the work was hard and the Jaegers could never wait. Sure, she completely loved working with them. She was in tune with the machines now, she could tell if there was something wrong during test pilots. But what would be even cooler would be if she could actually pilot one.

 _But I can't._

Jazmine's frustration built up and she drew back and kicked the Jaeger, earning nothing but a sore foot for her troubles. Pentecost was the only one who knew about her mortifying problem, the reason why she physically couldn't pilot a Jaeger without doing herself and her co-pilot great injury. She hadn't tried in some time, and she wanted to – yet Jazmine knew that she would come out disappointed.

"Do you normally spend more time around machines than people?" Chuck swaggered across the bay floor, and Jazmine felt thoroughly irritated. Was he stalking her now? Well, probably not. There were only so many places in a Shatterdome to hide, massive as it was.

"Do you normally hound people, or am I just lucky?" Jazmine retaliated, folding her arms over her chest and attempting to appear composed. She couldn't let Chuck see that she was upset, because in all likeliness, he would make fun of her. Especially if he knew what lay at the heart of the problem.

"Lucky, I'd say," Chuck replied, looking up at _Gipsy Danger._ "You really think this old rust bucket can do the job? I heard that you got it out of the scrapyard and fixed it up. Not to mention that the old _Cherno Alpha_ won't last either."

"And you think _Striker_ will?" Jazmine asked, tilting her head to the side. To be honest, the Mark V was definitely the newest Jaeger, but that didn't mean the others were completely worthless.

"Look, I just wanted to say thank you." Chuck's voice was gruff and he refused to meet Jazmine's eyes, shifting his feet. "For actually trying to talk to me, explaining things with Raleigh. Most people don't really bother."

"Chuck…" Jazmine began, but the young man had turned on his heel and walked off without another word. She sighed in frustration, raking a hand through her brown hair and wondering when Chuck was actually going to be able to talk to her civilly without feeling embarrassed about doing so.

* * *

Chuck glanced around as he sauntered around the place. He needed to find a woman who could help him win Jazmine over. He knew she was friends with the red headed public relations officer, or whatever she was. If he could find her, he may be able to find out some useful information on how best to get Jazmine, even if it meant putting in a little bit of effort. He peered into her office as he passed it, grinning to himself.

"Sophia, is it?" Chuck questioned, unsure of her name.

Sophia looked up from the paperwork she was doing. "Hmm? What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to talk to you." Chuck strode into the office, looking around. It was very clean.

Sophia raised an eyebrow, sitting down and gesturing for him to do the same. "About?"

"Women." Chuck sat across from her, the large desk parting them, making him feel like he was in some formal meeting.

Sophia leant back in her chair. "What about us?"

"Well, a woman in particular." Chuck told her, sighing when she gave him a questioning look. Of course, she would want to know who the particular woman was. All women were nosy and liked to gossip, he knew that much. "Jazmine."

"What do you want to know?" Sophia grinned, having noticed Chuck's recent obsession with the young mechanic.

Chuck stretched out. "How long have you known her?"

"A while." Sophia shrugged. She was unsure of exactly how long she had known Jazmine, but in their time together they had become good friends. Chuck nodded, raking a hand through his hair. He needed to get to know Jazmine. It was essential to him. Otherwise he had no chance.

"What does she like?"

"Jaegers." Sophia gave him the one-word answer. She wanted to make him persistent in asking questions before she gave him any helpful information on Jazmine.

"In a man." Chuck clarified, although he had the suspicion that Sophia had known what he was talking about.

"Honesty…kindness…patience…tolerance…someone not like you…" Sophia spoke with a light tone, but Chuck knew it was a warning to stay away from Jazmine. One which he was happy to ignore. Chuck leant back in his chair, stretching out comfortably.

"I thought charming ways and manly biceps would have won her over."

"Nope. You need to be nice to get her to like you." Sophia sipped the glass of water that sat on her desk, growing bored of the conversation.

Chuck shrugged, opting for something simpler. "Seducing her sounds like it'd work."

"No, doubt it." Sophia shook her head. Jaz was wise enough not to fall for his seductions.

Chuck groaned, wishing this task could be simpler. "Any idea how I could get in her pants?"

"Nope, but you'd have to get through Raleigh first. Good luck." Sophia couldn't help the amusement in her voice. She didn't think Chuck had the guts to attempt to get to Jazmine.

"Easy." Chuck grinned, raising an eyebrow when Sophia shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. "Is he really that protective?"

Sophia nodded, still grinning. "Yes."

"So he'd kill me?" Chuck smirked; he was up for the challenge.

"Most likely."

Chuck rolled his eyes, knowing that Raleigh wouldn't be able to kill him if he tried. "He could try."

"And succeed." Sophia knew that Raleigh and Chuck didn't get along at the best of times and she knew they were capable of coming to blows.

Chuck scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm allowed to want to bang her."

Sophia shrugged. She wasn't arguing against what he wanted to do, she just doubted Jaz would let him. "I know."

"Anyway, I have some seducing to do." Chuck winked, getting to his feet.

Sophia waved him out with her hands, not wanting to look at him or speak to him anymore. "Good. Leave me in peace." She shook as he swaggered out, knowing that none of this was going to turn out well. "Idiot…"

* * *

"This is amazing." Jazmine glanced around the cockpit of _Striker Eureka._ She had managed to convince Herc that she wanted to attempt a Drift, just in case Mako couldn't find Raleigh a suitable co-pilot. She knew her brother would protest vehemently, but this wasn't just about him. The cockpit was large and in pristine condition, despite the fact that the Jaeger had recently seen battle in Sydney.

"Only Mark V in existence." Herc smiled proudly at the girl's astounded reaction.

"You're good to go," Tendo called over the coms, "Jazmine, Herc, strap in."

Herc stepped into the harness and Jazmine followed suit, trying to suppress her nervousness. She knew what had happened in the simulations. She just had to believe that this time would be different. She took a deep breath in the DriveSuit she had been fitted into. She might not have been Drift-compatible before, but she thought that perhaps…perhaps things might have changed.

"Initializing neural handshake," Tendo stated, his voice crackling over the com.

"Remember, Jaz, don't focus on one memory," Herc warned her. There were a lot of things in his head that he hadn't wanted Chuck to see, let along Jazmine.

"Neural handshake initiated," Tendo stated, and suddenly Jazmine felt like she had been jolted out of her harness and catapulted somewhere else.

 _It was only one or the other, it had to be Chuck._

 _Nuclear bomb mushroom over Sydney._

 _You have to stop getting into fights if you want to be a Ranger._

 _I could kill Scott right now, I really could._

"Herc, her connection's dropping," Tendo stated, but he frowned as he checked over the scanners. Jazmine had gone still, but she wasn't chasing the rabbit. This was something completely different. Inside the cockpit, the girl had started shaking violently. This wasn't anything to do with the Drift. It was all Jazmine. "She's gone into an overload."

"Shit," Herc breathed, before speaking into the com. "I have to pull out of the Drift, it's too much for her."

"Don't do it manually, it'll be too much of a shock." Tendo flipped the control, powering off the Jaeger and shutting down the Drift. Herc tugged his helmet off and hurried over to Jazmine. He'd seen it in the Drift. He knew why she couldn't pilot, no matter how many times she kept trying to convince them otherwise.

"Stupid girl." He unstrapped her, easing her into a sitting position. "You didn't tell us about the fits."

"I can control it!" Jazmine exclaimed, despite the fact that her shaking was only just starting to ease. "I just need more time."

"I saw it in your head." Herc shook his head slowly. "That's why Pentecost won't let you pilot. Does Raleigh know the Drift sets off your epilepsy?"

"Don't." Jazmine pushed herself to her feet. "Don't call it that, and don't get Raleigh involved."

"He needs to know," Herc insisted, realising that Jazmine hadn't told her older brother about it. She was too damn stubborn to realise that she would never be able to pilot, that the Drift would only keep causing her to have fits.

"No he doesn't." Jazmine folded her arms. "Why does he need to know? It's minor, it's nothing."

She shrugged off Herc's restraining arm and climbing out of the cockpit. She walked down the steps of the platform and angrily kicked at a rail. Sensing her frustration, Herc followed her, raking a hand through his hair.

"The rail didn't do anything to you."

"It was probably funny seeing me have my little fit, when I couldn't handle the Drift," Jazmine spat furiously. She truly did enjoy being a mechanic, but she had always admired her older brothers and the other Jaeger pilots. She had kept trying, but she supposed that sometimes, dreams didn't come true.

"It wasn't," Herc stated, "I feel sorry for you."

"Don't." Jazmine gripped the rail so tight her knuckles went white. "I don't need or want your pity. I have epilepsy, so what? You don't have to feel sorry for me."

"I feel bad that you can't do what your brothers do," Herc said quietly. Deny it as much as she would, he had seen it in her mind. She wanted to be a Ranger.

Jazmine stared at her feet. "It doesn't matter."

"It does to you," Herc said, wishing he could reach out but knowing that like Chuck, she was volatile and would push him away. "It upsets you. I just feel sorry for you."

"I don't want you to feel sorry for me!" Jazmine exclaimed, hands balling into fists. She felt guilty for getting angry at Herc, but she hadn't wanted him or anyone else to see her weakness. She felt vulnerable and ashamed. She headed down the stairs as Herc watched, leaning over the railing.

"You should tell him what happened today."

Jazmine knew that he meant Raleigh. "He doesn't need to know."

"No, but you should still tell him," Herc persisted.

"And say what?" Jazmine's eyes narrowed. "Hey Raleigh, guess what! I'm an epileptic who has fits whenever she goes into the Drift!"

"You should tell him or someone else might," Herc said gently, "He's your brother, Jazmine."

"My business isn't his," Jazmine snapped, turning away from the older Hansen. "Leave me alone, Herc."


End file.
